


Rolling Thunder

by basslined



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 08:28:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6975484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/basslined/pseuds/basslined
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They hadn’t been able to bring him back, he had found out later on. The lightning had passed right through his classmate, killing him almost instantly. All that he could think about afterward was that it could’ve been him.</p><p>Since then, Tanaka Ryuunosuke has been afraid of thunderstorms.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rolling Thunder

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhh, my first fic in 3-4 years...! It's been a long time since I've written something. I've rated it T for the light swearing, just to be safe. 
> 
> I thought of a headcanon recently about Tanaka being afraid of thunder until he meets the human equivalent of that (Noya) and decided I wanted to roll with it. It turns out that almost exactly a year ago, Mira also had a similar one wherein he's afraid of storms until Noya creates 'Rolling Thunder' to help him laugh at his fear. With her permission, I've included that in here, too!
> 
> So, I guess it's proper to dedicate it to her, as well as to my Nivbean who encouraged me to finish this in (almost) one sitting and Emi, who helped me brainstorm in the beginning!

It happens when he’s seven.

It wasn’t supposed to rain that day, so soccer practice hadn’t been cancelled. ‘ _We’ll play through the rain, it’ll be fine_ ,’ his coach had said, but that turned out to be the furthest thing from the truth.

The clouds had quickly rolled in faster than anticipated, the sprinkle of rain turning to a sudden downpour and the wind whipping at the trees so violently that he could’ve sworn there’d been an invisible oni slapping them around.

There was a low rumble in the distance, quickly increasing in frequency until it hit the field with a crack and a boom. It was so bright at that moment and everything seemed to stop, as if time itself had frozen in place. He still remembers seeing his teammate ready to receive a pass from their left-back, but after that blinding flash of light and the clouds’ accompanying angry symphony it left behind, the other boy was on the ground. The spectating adults were panicking, rushing toward them and ushering them into the safety of the clubhouse. He’d just been confused, eyes wide as his hands started to shake, unable to tear his gaze away from the sight on the field.

They hadn’t been able to bring him back, he had found out later on. The lightning had passed right through his classmate, killing him almost instantly. All that he could think about afterward was that it could’ve been _him_.

Since then, Tanaka Ryuunosuke has been afraid of thunderstorms.

 

* * *

 

The Tanakas move before Ryuu starts middle school. A fresh start away from things, a better school system, and an easier commute.

Their next door neighbors have a son his age and they hit things off from day one. The other boy is boisterous and excitable just like Tanaka is himself and they spend the rest of their summer vacation catching bugs and getting into all sorts of trouble. It’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship. 

They don’t go to the same middle school, but they still hang out after class every afternoon and regularly have sleepovers, accumulating clothing and personal items at one another’s homes. Their parents even sign them up for a youth volleyball league, trying to encourage Ryuu to be active again after his ruined experience with soccer. The general idea is that practice is held indoors, so he doesn’t need to worry about anything, but Noya’s sheer excitement at the idea of them playing together pushes him to agree more than anything else.

One afternoon, Noya suggests Tanaka help him with receives because if he’s going to be the best libero in all of Japan, he’s going to need all the extra help he can get and it’s not like the two of them are actually going to spend the afternoon doing homework like they should be.

Noya’s parents set up a net in their backyard for them a few weeks prior should these sorts of instances arise. They’ve only just started to get into a rhythm when Tanaka hears the rumble of a storm in the distance and he goes rigid almost instantaneously. Bad timing, too, because Noya had just hit the ball to him and it ends up nailing him right in the face.

“Ow! Hell!” Tanaka yells, grabbing at his nose. Noya runs under the net and toward him, pulling Tanaka’s fingers away to assess the damage. It’s definitely bleeding, but it doesn’t look broken. 

“Jeez, man! You shoulda paid attention!” Noya yells back as Tanaka hears another distant clap of thunder echo through the air.

He plays off his uneasiness as pain as he suggests they go inside and take care of it, Noya not even bothering to argue. Tanaka ends up having to go home and he’s grateful that his best friend doesn’t have to see him have a meltdown once the clouds finally settle over their neighborhood.

 

* * *

 

There’s always a feeling in the air when it’s going to storm. It always smells just _so_ and the humidity gradually gets thicker over the course of the day. Sometimes it breaks, sometimes it doesn’t, but that very uncertainty is what makes knots of anxiety form deep in Tanaka’s gut. It’s uncomfortable.

The second-to-last night of his very first summer training camp is one of those times. The air is damp as he breathes it into his lungs and he can feel it hugging around his body as he walks alongside Nishinoya on the way back to their building. Noya’s going on about the tingling he could feel through his forearms after hitting a particularly biting receive just the wrong way, but all Ryuu can do is hum affirmatively in response, only half-listening as they continue down the path. The twisting in his stomach as he feels the wind start to kick up behind them is all he can concentrate on.

Nothing gets past Noya, though. “Oi, you listenin’?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, no – sorry man,” he brings up a hand to scrub the back of his head, wiping sweat on the leg of his shorts when he lets his arm fall back down to his side. “Say again?”

“I asked if you wanted to get a snack.” Noya’s regarding him carefully with the unspoken question of ‘ _you okay?_ ’ to which Tanaka just nods.

“Yeah, actually.” _Whatever gets us indoors_.

They’re not quick enough, though. The rain quickly descends upon the two boys in buckets, earning an ‘ _ah, shit!_ ’ from the libero. “C’mon, c’mon!”

By the time they reach the hallway to the snack machines, they’re completely soaked through and Noya’s hair has flattened around his face. Tanaka’s about to make some smartass comment about it until he hears the first loud crackle of thunder, lips parted slightly as he inhales sharply instead.

The walls around them vibrate with the second boom, landing not even ten seconds after the first. 

He’s trying to play it off like it’s no big deal, quickly asking what exactly his friend wants from the machine as if to prove that point, but Noya shoots him another look and he knows he’s about to hear about it.

“You’ve always been scared when it gets like this, ever since we were younger,” he says, earning a scoff from Tanaka. He brings a hand up to wave it off dismissively before continuing with a shrug. “I mean, it’s nothin’ to be ashamed over, I just wonder why, that’s all.”

Tanaka lets his gaze follow a droplet of water as it slides down Noya’s right hand and falls to collect in the small puddle by his feet, carefully considering his options. He knows well enough by now that Nishinoya isn’t one to take things he’s worried about lightly, but he still wants him to think he’s _cool_ and being afraid of anything at all is everything but. His best friend’s opinion means everything to him even if he’s not entirely sure why and Tanaka never wants to say or do anything that will tarnish his image in Noya’s eyes, even if he’s one-hundred and fifty percent certain that could never happen _ever_.

Noya opens his mouth to prod at him again, but he’s quickly silenced by a bright flash that gives way to the loudest bellow of thunder yet; the picture frames on the walls around them quake and clatter against the painted brick as the wind whips at the small window behind Noya’s head. He can feel the grumbling vibrations echoing through his bones and lighting up his skin in an uncomfortable crawl as he squeezes his eyes shut and clenches his fists by his sides.

It’s incessant, every five or so seconds bringing on another crash outside and rattling everything around them. The power going out then is just adding insult to injury, he thinks, but he’s quietly thankful since it means that Noya can’t see whatever the hell it is that’s going on with his face right now.

His friend pulls his phone out of his pocket, swiping the home screen to turn on the flashlight app. He cups his hand over it careful not to blind the two of them. “Damn.”

“Yeah…”

“Ryuu.” Both Noya’s tone and gaze are softer than usual when he looks back at Tanaka and his stomach does a little flip. Whether it’s from the loud sounds filling the hallway or what he’s uncertain, but his throat is dry for the first time today and he can’t help but wring his hands nervously.

“Ryuu,” he repeats, taking a step forward as he sets the phone down on the small table beside the snack machine. Tanaka can feel his heartbeat quicken as Noya reaches out and takes his hands between his own, giving them a squeeze. His skin is still damp and Tanaka can feel the slight prune of his fingertips as they brush against his palms. “It’s gonna be fi – “   

“It was soccer,” he blurts out forcefully and he can feel Noya’s hands twitch slightly in alarm. “When I was little, we were outside durin’ this storm and my teammate…I saw him die, Noya-san, and it’s – I can’t help but think, almost ten fuckin’ years later, it could’ve been me, right? Any time, it could be me!” He squeezes his eyes shut again, feeling the salty sting of overwhelmed tears at the corners of his eyes. “I can’t help it, it’s so lame, but it’s just…”

Noya’s quiet then and Tanaka’s too embarrassed to look him in the eye, opting instead to once again stare at the water around their sneakers. He feels like he’s under a microscope, like his best friend is dissecting him, and his heart is hammering in his ears with the same intensity produced by the storm outside. He expects Noya to laugh, tell him he’s just being silly, to tell him to stop acting like Asahi-san, but he doesn’t. He’s just uncharacteristically _quiet._

“I’m sorry, it’s really dumb, I know – “

“It’s not.”

Tanaka brings his attention back to his friend only to find him staring up at him with an intensity he doesn’t usually have outside of the court. Another strike of lightning illuminates the room around them and it catches Nishinoya’s eyes in a way that makes his breath hitch in his throat. He can’t help the nervous giggle that escapes his mouth as he brushes his cheek against his shoulder in an attempt to calm the flush. All he can manage in response is an “oh.”

“I didn’t know,” he says before tugging Tanaka’s wrists and pulling him forward to wrap his arms around his middle. It catches the taller boy so very much by surprise that his foot slips a little, grabbing tightly at Noya’s shoulders to regain his balance before he lets his arms settle comfortably. His voice is mumbled by the fabric of the wing spiker’s wet shirt when he speaks again. “It’s not dumb at all. Of course you’d be scared of that.”

“I know, but – “

Noya pulls back just enough to gently crack him between the ribs with his left hand. “No ‘buts.’ I mean it.” Tanaka winces, but it has helped ground him in a way only Nishinoya knows how to do. His friend presses his face against Tanaka’s chest again briefly before finally pulling away entirely and he can almost see the gears turning in his head before he finally says, “Thanks for tellin’ me.”

“Y-yeah, no problem…”

“It’ll be okay though, ‘cause I’m gonna make it better,” he states with a grin, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Tanaka can’t help but bark out a laugh as he punches Noya in the shoulder, the last of the storm rumbling away unnoticed as they break out into a lighthearted, playful scuffle in the hallway.

 

* * *

 

The months come and go and with them, so do not only Karasuno’s chances at Nationals, but both Asahi and Nishinoya as well.  

There’s an empty void caused by his best friend’s suspension, not only in volleyball and school itself, but also just in his day-to-day. They still keep in contact through text and Skype (of course), but he doesn’t see Noya all that much in person and he doesn’t realize just how much he misses being attached at the hip until he’s been removed. He’s not entirely sure what to do with this realization, but the more he dwells on it, the more his chest tightens. It’s easier just to push it into the back of his mind.

With the arrival of the new first years, the rest of the month flies by. When he comes into the gym and Noya’s there, he can’t hide his excitement. “Oh! Noya-san!!”

Noya’s just as excited to see him too, his eyes sparkling under the fluorescents of the gym. “Oi, Ryuu!!”  

There’s catching up and introductions to the first years, lots of banter and Noya being his usual rowdy self. Tanaka can’t help but look on fondly, at least until he hears Noya mention Asahi, only to insult him and angrily declare that he’s not coming back until their senpai does.

Tanaka can’t help but reprimand his best friend, but he can almost instantly feel his stomach drop when he does, letting everything that’d been said really settle. He’d expected as much – that Noya wouldn’t return unless their ace did too – but hearing it makes it more real and he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t wanted a different outcome.

He tries to shake off the uneasy feeling as Noya leaves the gym, but it still lingers the rest of the school day anyway. Tanaka thinks there may be a hint of strain in the rest of their interactions from that point on, but since the libero isn’t acting _that_ much differently, he just chalks it up to his own overthinking.

“What did you do the whole month you were gone, anyway?” Tanaka asks at lunch time, mouth half-full of rice.

“Hah? Oh. I thought I already told ya.”

“All you kept saying was that you were damn bored ‘cause your Ma grounded your ass for getting suspended,” he clarifies. The rest of their conversations had mostly been Tanaka filling Noya in on all the things he missed during that particular day; there wasn’t much material coming from Noya himself.

The smaller boy looks thoughtful, shoving almost an entire onigiri in his mouth at once; he’s always so impressive, Ryuu thinks. “Well, whenever she was outta the house, I’d sneak out and practice receives with the aunties from one of the neighborhood association teams. They were real excited to have me. I should’ve gotten you some phone numbers!!”

Tanaka makes a startled sound around the food in his mouth, jabbing Noya in the forearm with his chopsticks, the action only causing the smaller boy to burst into laughter as he makes a steal for some of Tanaka’s bento.

 

* * *

 

Noya’s in the gym again the next day for practice, though he explicitly states that he’s only there to help Hinata because that’s just what a good senpai _does_. They’re practicing receives this afternoon because it’s the area they’re currently suffering in (and will continue to suffer in without Noya) and the first years aren’t much help filling that gap in.

They’re not even fifteen minutes into the drills before Noya’s turn in the rotation comes up. Kiyoko tosses the ball gently to Daichi who hits it up and over the net and in a flurry of precise, acrobatic movement, the libero is on the ball.

His voice loudly cuts through the gym as he yells, “Rolliiiiinnnggggg… _Thundeeeeerrrrr_!!” He connects flawlessly with the ball, landing it right in the bin. It’s quiet for a few seconds as the spectacle sinks in, immediately shattered with snickering and comments.

“What the hell was that?!” Tanaka exclaims through a fit of laughter, half to Suga next to him, but not really to anyone in particular. “That was just an ordinary rolling receive!” There are tears in his eyes and he’s holding his sides tightly trying to calm the hell down before Daichi inevitably starts yelling, but he can’t seem to control it. It’s like all the tension in his body that’s built up during the day is finally violently escaping through his cackling.

After practice they walk home together, falling back into their normal routine. Tanaka still has a smile on his face thinking about how much livelier things had been and he can’t stop himself from saying so. “It was nice having you back, dude.”

Noya glances at him, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “It _was_ kinda nice practicing with you guys and not the aunties,” he tilts his head back and looks at the first few stars starting to twinkle above them, “but I’m still not comin’ back until Asahi-san does.”

Tanaka lets out a heavy exhale as if the air’s been ripped from his lungs. That same uncomfortable feeling from before has settled over him again. “…I figured.”

They walk in silence for a little while before Noya pipes up again. “You didn’t even ask about my new receive.”

“Eh?” he turns his head to look at him. “The whole ‘Rolling Thunder’ thing?” he asks, putting unnecessary emphasis on the catchphrase with air quotes.

“You act like it’s meaningless!” There’s a hint of irritation to his voice as he stops walking, causing Tanaka to follow suit and stare at him. When Noya can tell the taller boy clearly has no idea what he’s alluding to, he shakes his head. “Don’t you remember what I said last summer?”

He scrunches up his nose in thought, trying to recall. He’s about to say no, not really, but then it hits him. The end of training camp, in the hallway. The words replay in his mind: ‘ _It’ll be okay, ‘cause I’m gonna make it better._ ’ He catches sight of Noya’s mouth curving up at the ends, an indicator that he realizes Tanaka’s figured it out.

“I don’t break my promises, y’know,” he says with that same softness Ryuu remembers from that night. It makes his heart do this weird thing; it’s somewhere between a flutter and just straight up ceasing to function. He doesn’t know what to say or what to do, but his vision is starting to blur and he knows that he can’t stop the overwhelmed, moved tears from flowing down his cheeks.

Noya beams at him, pulling Tanaka down by his collar to press their foreheads together. “I wanted you to be able to help you face your fear and it’s easier to laugh at somethin’ you’re scared of than anything else, I think…seeing you like that every time – I don’t know, it hurt right here,” he taps against the center of Tanaka’s chest then, “and I didn’t really know why. So, I fixed it. Or, well, I tried to fix it. You laughed harder than I’ve seen y’laugh about anything in a while, so I thought maybe it worked.”

“It totally did, dude,” he sniffs, wrapping his arms around Noya’s small shoulders, “I won’t be able to sit through another thunderstorm without seeing your dorky, flailing visage burned into the backs of my eyeballs.”

He lets out something between a laugh and a sob, just a real pitiful noise, when he hears Noya squawk indignantly. Then he feels the scratchy press of Noya’s slightly chapped lips against his cheek and then once more against his own, and he can’t help but pull away in pure surprise. His cheeks are heating up as his eyes search Noya’s own reddening face, the other boy stammering as he tries to apologize. “I-I got caught up in the moment and – I’m sorry, shit, uh – “

Tanaka shakes his head, swallowing thickly before biting his bottom lip. “No, it’s – I didn’t…uh, mind? Is that…it’s probably weird, right.”

His heart is hammering against his ribs as they stand there frozen in place, neither seeming to know what to do about what happened. He thinks he should probably say something, but Noya’s the one who breaks the silence first – he usually is.

“It should be, but…it’s not? I mean, I just kinda…it was the right thing to do!!” He seems to have some newfound sense of determination, saying “I stand by my decision!!” and Tanaka can’t help but laugh. Noya laughs then too, the nervous energy transforming into something fun and light – more comfortable once again.

After a few more moments, Tanaka takes a deep breath, settling his hands back to their previous home against Nishinoya’s shoulders. He feels super lame asking, but he’s become a little bolder too. “Could we, uh…maybe – I mean, if you meant it…”

The libero brings his hands up to grasp Tanaka’s face, pulling him down to his level to slot their lips together again. Everything falls into place and there’s nowhere else he thinks he’d rather be than right here.

Their meeting was definitely fate, he thinks. Noya was always meant to barrel into his life, loud, rumbling and bright; the human incarnation of what he’d been so scared of all his life. Noya’s lips moving against his own tell him as much, that as long as they’re by each other’s side, everything will be fine.

That thought is more than enough for Tanaka Ryuunosuke, who is no longer afraid of thunderstorms.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Come scream with me on twitter (@mokubah) or on tumblr (@mokuba)!


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